TTD chief sets new goals to protect Tirumala’s sanctity

Tirumala : The newly-appointed chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board, B Rajagopala Naidu, outlined his vision to safeguard the sanctity of the globally revered Hindu pilgrimage centre of Tirumala. In his first media briefing since taking charge, Naidu emphasised the board’s commitment to addressing vital issues in an upcoming meeting.

Naidu addressed the ongoing vigilance enquiry into Srivani Trust, which is investigating potential misuse of funds. “Once the enquiry concludes, the findings will be submitted to the state government and TTD will act according to the government’s recommendations,” he said.

Stressing the importance of Tirumala’s sacred identity, Naidu assured the public that non-Hindu activities would not be permitted within the holy site. “I assure that there will be scope for only Hindu activities in this sacred town,” he stated firmly. Sensitive issues like the religious affiliations of TTD staff will be carefully discussed with the Chief Minister before decisions are made.

With TTD functioning like a ‘mini state government’ employing over 22,000 individuals, including 6,000 permanent staff, Naidu highlighted plans to expand TTD’s spiritual initiatives, leveraging its substantial workforce to enhance devotees’ experiences. “TTD will resolve to provide a pleasant experience for devotees visiting Tirumala”, he said.

Naidu acknowledged the challenges posed by Tirumala’s high footfall, especially during peak days when attendance can exceed 100,000. Currently, TTD can facilitate darshan for around 80,000 to 85,000 devotees daily, and infrastructure upgrades and crowd management strategies are under consideration to improve the experience further.

The chairman commended executive officer J Syamala Rao and his team for their efforts in conducting the recent Brahmotsavam, which he described as a testament to the TTD team’s dedication.

Earlier, Naidu met with senior TTD officials, where EO Syamala Rao presented an overview of TTD’s extensive activities. The importance of departments such as Tirumala temple, local temples, Annaprasadam, vigilance, health, transport and IT, Gosala, garden and forests, educational institutions and hospitals, medical, PR wing, reception, Kalyanakatta, Hindu Dharmic projects in the massive religious organisation besides taking care of the pilgrim darshan, accommodation and other facilities were outlined.

Additional EO Ch Venkaiah Chowdary, JEO V Veerabrahmam, CVSO Sridhar, DLO Varaprasada Rao, FACAO Balaji, CE Satyanarayana and other departmental HoDs were present.